The Gentile Times Reconsidered Chronology Christ

302 THE GENTILE TIMES RECONSIDERED
number of other texts related to this subject. 39 As was discussed in
Chapter 5, the most direct reading of Jeremiah 25:11 shows the
seventy years to be a period of servitude, not desolation: “These nations
shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” (NASB) It was
further pointed out that the other text in Jeremiah referring to the
seventy years, Jeremiah 29:10, confirms this understanding. The
most direct reading of the best and most literal translation of this
text shows those “seventy years” to be a reference to the
Babylonian rule: “When seventy years have been completed for
Babylon.” (NASB) Both texts clearly refer to Babylon, not
Jerusalem.
If the seventy years refer to the Babylonian rule, as these verses
show, this period ended with the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C.E.; and
this is directly stated at Jeremiah 25:12: “Then after seventy years
are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation.”
(NRSV) As this punishment took place in 539 B.C.E., the end of
the seventy years cannot be extended beyond that date, either to
537 B.C.E. or any other date, as that would be in conflict with a
direct reading of Jeremiah 25:12. 40
There cannot be any doubt whatsoever about the matter: The
most direct reading of Jeremiah’s prophecy (Jeremiah 25:11–12 and
29:10) is in clear conflict with the application that the Watch Tower
Society gives to the seventy years. In spite of this, it boldly declares:
But the Bible itself provides even more telling evidence against
the claim that the 70 years began in 605 B.C.E. and that Jerusalem
was destroyed in 587/6 B.C.E. 41
What “telling evidence”? This:
As mentioned, if we were to count from 605 B.C.E., the 70
years would reach down to 535 B.C.E. However, the inspired Bible
writer Ezra reported that the 70 years ran until “the first year of
Cyrus the king of Persia,” who issued a decree allowing the Jews to
return to their homeland. 42
But did Ezra really report that? As was shown in the discussion
of 2 Chronicles 36:21–23 in Chapter 5, Ezra does not clearly indicate
39 As is shown in the Appendix for Chapter 5, “The ‘third year of Jehoiakim’ (Daniel
1:12),” these texts also include Daniel 1:1–2 and 2:1.
40 For a full discussion of the texts dealing with the seventy years, see Chapter 5 of
the present work.
41 “Let Your Kingdom Come,” pp. 188–189.
42 Ibid., p. 189.